The Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo ship was a day late because of a software issues that caused thruster problems. Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo ship caught up and docked with th International Space Station early Thursday. Northrop Grumman engineers adjusted the sensitivity of main engine fault detection software that prematurely triggered shut downs during two rendezvous thruster firings Tuesday.
The main engine was healthy all along and once the software was adjusted, the spacecraft was able to press ahead with the rendezvous.
SpaceX’s cargo Dragon and Russian Progress freighters carry out autonomous dockings at their respective ports. The Cygnus was designed to be captured by the station’s arm and pulled in for berthing.
It has more than 5 tons of spare parts, research material and crew supplies, including holiday treats for the station crew.
SpaceX launches its Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Sept. 14, 2025. The rocket carried Northrop Grumman’s first Cygnus XL spacecraft on a cargo resupply mission (NG-23) to the International Space Station.
NASA pays for cargo delivery flights using Cygnus and Dragon spacecraft. To date, SpaceX has successfully carried out 32 Dragon resupply missions while Northrop Grumman has executed 21 successful flights, including the current mission.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.